UPDATE, December 19: In public consultation workshops held across the State, the department’s fee structure for mining and public water supply indicated water licence assessment costs ranging from $4000 to $8900 for a licence of 10-year duration, with the higher cost applicable for large-volume licences in high-risk areas for mining and public water supply.

EARLIER: vegetablesWA, in association with WA Farmers, WA Citrus, Pome West, Wines of WA and WA Potatoes, developed a joint response to the discussion paper opposing the fees.

Chief executive John Shannon said the fees would have a severe impact on hundreds of small business owners, forcing many to leave the industry.

“Many horticulture businesses are only marginally profitable – the average return on capital of the bottom 25 per cent of participating growers was negative 6 per cent,” he said.

“The introduction of charges will have a hugely significant impact on current horticultural businesses, supply chains, the availability of locally produced fruit and vegetables in WA, and further investment in the industry and state.

“To support WA growers and the horticultural industry, the government needs to abandon these proposed cost recovery charges.”

The department’s executive director of regional delivery Paul Brown said in WA, unlike other states, there had been no fees to assess water licence and permit applications before the introduction of fees for the mining and public water supply sectors this year.

“The costs of these assessments were borne by the Western Australian taxpayer,” he said, adding the department spent about $14 million a year to assess applications.